US Cancels G20 Group Photo After European Diplomats Refuse to Stand With Russia’s Lavrov

European diplomats refused to participate in an official group photograph with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Atlanta, prompting US hosts to cancel the planned photo on Friday.

Two officials confirmed the cancellation to the BBC after several delegations indicated they would not stand alongside Lavrov for the traditional ‘family photo’, which usually features representatives of all participating nations.

The diplomatic disagreement unfolded as tensions over Russia’s war in Ukraine dominated discussions at the summit, hosted by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

UK Foreign Secretary Confronts Lavrov Over Ukraine War

UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband directly accused Russia of being responsible for the ongoing war in Ukraine during his address to the meeting.

“Let me say this directly to the Russian Foreign Minister: We all know who the aggressor in this war is,” Miliband said, accusing Moscow of killing innocent civilians.

Addressing G20 foreign ministers, he urged member countries to work towards securing a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.

Miliband said Russia’s invasion had caused widespread global damage, including civilian deaths, disruptions to energy supplies and worsening food insecurity.

He also called for stronger economic and diplomatic pressure on Moscow to restrict the revenues supporting the war.

He said the war was not merely a test for Europe or NATO, but required all countries to exert economic and diplomatic pressure on Russia to cut off the revenues sustaining Putin’s war effort.

US Cancels Group Photograph to Avoid Diplomatic Distraction

A US official said the decision to cancel the photograph followed indications that some delegations were unwilling to participate in a joint picture.

Rather than allow the ceremonial event to overshadow the meeting, Washington decided to drop the photograph and focus on diplomatic discussions, the official said.

A British official told the BBC that the UK had maintained a policy of avoiding direct bilateral engagement with Russian ministers since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine and had no intention of changing that position.

Ukraine, despite being invited to similar G20 meetings in previous years, was not invited to this gathering. The country is not a member of the G20.

Trump’s Russia Policy Draws Criticism From Ukraine and Europe

The diplomatic tensions come amid changing US relations with Russia and Ukraine. President Donald Trump has eased some sanctions on Moscow and agreed to import Russian diesel to help lower domestic fuel prices ahead of the midterm elections.

Ukraine and its European allies have criticised the move. President Volodymyr Zelensky called it “a gift” to Vladimir Putin, arguing that it would help prolong the war. Trump defended the decision, saying it would keep Moscow engaged in peace negotiations. Putin has also expressed willingness to supply oil and petroleum products to the US and global markets.

US Approves $2 Billion Patriot Missile Sale to Ukraine

Despite its recent moves to ease some restrictions on Russia, the US State Department approved the sale of more than $2 billion worth of Patriot missiles to Ukraine this week.

The missile systems are among the key weapons used by Ukraine to strengthen its air defences against Russian missile and drone attacks.

Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and currently controls approximately one-fifth of Ukrainian territory.

Moscow has intensified missile and drone attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities in recent weeks, resulting in further casualties and damage.